When U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced a travel ban from Europe in March, American riders in Europe faced a difficult choice. Leave family and friends and ride out the dreaded coronavirus pandemic for an undetermined period of time, or take the first flight to the United States.

Most riders chose the latter, and with the US currently lagging far behind Europe in containing the spread of COVID-19, these riders are eager to return to Europe before it is decided next week which countries will be on the EU welcome list when international travel resumes on July 1 The riders are eager to return to the The riders need to be in Europe for an important training camp and return to racing. Strade Bianche (open in new tab) opens the World Tour on August 1, and the Tour de France (open in new tab) is scheduled for August 29-September 20.

According to the NY Times and other sources, the U.S. did not make the list because its rate of new infections is still higher than the epidemiological benchmark EU average (16 new cases per 100,000 population). The U.S. average is currently above 100 per 100,000 people, and other countries in South and Central America also exceed this value.

The list of countries allowed to travel to the EU includes Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, but notably not the US and Russia.

Sepp Kuss, who was selected to represent Jumbo Visma in the Tour de France, remained in Andorra, while Chad Haga (Team Sunweb) remained in Girona.

Ben King (NTT Pro Cycling) returned to Lucca, Italy last week after a closed period in the United States. The country had allowed Americans with proven track records to enter, but it is unclear if the EU decision next week will change that. Larry Walbus (AG2R La Mondiale) returned to Michigan, but returned to Nice this week.

Joe Dombrowski and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) were named to the Giro d'Italia team, as were Tejay Van Garderen, Lawson Craddock, Alex Howes, and Nielson Powles (EF Pro Cycling), Brent Bookwalter (Mitchelton-Scott), Quinn Simmons, and Kiel Reynen (Trek-Segafredo), may find it difficult to return to Europe for the race.

EF Pro Cycling team manager Jonathan Vaughters confirmed that his WorldTour team is working to move riders to Europe before July 1 due to uncertainty.

The women's peloton is similarly affected, with Ruth Winder, Taylor Wiles (Trek Segafredo), Colin Rivera (Sunweb), Alexis Ryan (Canyon SRAM), Katie Hall (Boels Dolmans) and others racing calendar need to return to Europe when it resumes.

Notable athletes such as Haga, Dombrowski, King, Bookwalter, and Rosskopf have been left off USA Cycling's long team for the Olympics, putting pressure on them to return to racing and be selected as coaches. Some athletes are also seeking new contracts beyond 2021.

Other countries in South and Central America could also face problems as their infection rates are not below the EU average.

Defending Tour de France champion Egan Bernal and other Colombians are scheduled to fly to Europe on July 19 on a chartered flight with special permission from the Colombian government. Commercial flights from Colombia and other South American countries have been suspended until August 31.

According to Cyclingnews, the Colombian athletes will undergo COVID-19 testing before leaving for Europe.

While the EU's list of acceptable countries is only a recommendation and countries will still control their own borders, pressure is mounting on EU member states to adopt a unified strategy or risk losing free travel within the EU. Most of the 26 European countries that are members of the Schengen Agreement have relaxed their strict entry restrictions and allow people to travel.

At stake is the lucrative tourist flow from the U.S., important to many EU economies.

According to the NY Times, EU guidelines are expected to include exceptions for medical personnel, diplomats, humanitarian aid workers, transit passengers, asylum seekers, and students, as well as "passengers traveling for imperative family reasons" and foreign workers whose employment in Europe is deemed essential.

Professional cyclists are not considered essential, but according to Reuters, U.S. officials have indicated that U.S. travelers may be allowed in if they meet certain criteria and pass temperature checks.

The EU is expected to issue guidelines next week.